Index tab



C. CHISHOLM INDEX TAB Filed oct. 24. 1931 @d R126@ g Patented Dec. 12, 1933 UNITED STATESA PATENT GFFICE' INDEX TAB Clifton Chisholm, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Multigraph Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware It is frequently desirable to provide means such as index tabs whereby plates, cards, etc. maybe distinguished one from the other due to the position of the tab. This enables address plates, for

instance, to be classified either for purposes ofV ready manual sorting or to enable an address tween the diierent plates and print only from certain selected plates. n r

Itis the object of my invention to provide such mutual formation of the plate and the index tab that the latter may be readily mounted on the former in any of a number of locations, and may be changed at will from location to location, but while mounted may be shifted into different directional positions. I thus provide a large number of selectable indications dependent not only upon the selection of the general location of the tab, but also on its directional standing at such location.

ing at right angles to the edge of the plate. In

my present invention I avail myself of such a plate and such a general method of removably holding the tab thereon, but I so form the tab that when-mounted in any of the holes of the plate it may be swung into different positions and be there held against inadvertent displacement by coacting shoulders on the tab'and plate.

While availing myself of substantially the particular plate shown in my patent referred to, I increase a number of fold the possible indications which may be given by reason of the shiftability of the tab, due to its peculiar construction which enables it to be readily swung and at the same time effectively retained in any one of a number of positions, while being mounted on the'plate in any selected hole therein, without interfering with its ready removability for mounting in another location.

The plate of the patent referred to has between each tongue-receiving hole and the edge of the plate a slight projection made by indenting the plate, and in the index tab of that patent an opening is provided which engages this projection to position the tab Aat right-angles to the plate edge. In my present invention I so form the tab that while it has a tongue to engage a hole of the plate and a lip to overhang the edge, it also has various openings adapted to coact with different selections of the plate projections to position the tab in different angular positions. This will be clear from the disclosure in the drawing and the specific description thereof about to` be given. In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a face view of my 65 address plate equipped withV a number of my index tabs occupying various positions thereon; ig. 2 is a perspective looking from the rear of a portion of the plate with the index tab in Vertical position thereon; Fig. 3 is va perspective 70 showing such tab in one ofits diagonal positions in full lines and indicating the other diagonal position in broken lines; Fig. 4 is'a cross-section through the tab and plate, as indicated by the line 4-4 in Fig. r2; Fig. 5 is a perspective of the tab 75 alone.

As indicated in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the plate comprises a sheet-metal member 10, designed to carry in any suitable manner, a printingy form and preferably also an indexcard, as later described. The plateis providedwith a row of openings 11, each preferably rectangular, and located near one edge, andwith a row of projections 12 between the openings and the edge of' the plate, each projection being made by forwardly indenting the back of the plate. yThe edge of the plate is beaded or curled over toward the front, as indicated at 13. f

My index tab, designated 20 as a whole, comprises a'stampedme'tal member having a com- 90 paratively wide body portion 21, a narrower portion 22 below this, and a still narrower tongue 23 at the extreme lower end, this tongue being offset forwardly from the body of the plate by a distance substantially equal tothe sumoi thethickness of thegplate and theA thickness -of the tab: The width ofV the tongue is slightly less than the Width of any one of the openings 11 through the plate, and thus when the tab stands behind the plate and in engagement with it, the tongue may extend through the plate and have its rear face engage the face of the plate, as indicated in Fig. 4.

Above the enlarged body 21 of the plate is a projecting portion 24, through which is formed an opening 25, leading down into the body 21. This opening is made by two parallel slits in the extension 24 and a cut-out portion in the body, thus leaving an integral tongue 26, supported by they upper portion of the tab and projecting downwardly. This tongue is bowed forwardly, no

as shown at 27 and then curved over slightly toward the body of the tab 28 and then formed with the extreme end 29 turned slightly away from the body.

The tongue 26 described, is adapted to embrace the curled-over edge 13 of the plate when the tab is in any of its positions, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4.

In the enlarged body 21 of my tab, I form four openings designated 31, 32, 33 and 34, located two on each side of the up-and-down axis of the tab. When the tab is vertical, as shown in Fig. 2, one of the projections 12 occupies the opening 25 and two of the projections on either side thereof substantially engage the edge of the tab to retain it in vertical position. When, however, the tab is tipped into diagonal position (say toward the right, looking at the back of the plate, as in Fig. 3), one of the projections 12, engages the lower left-hand hole 32 of the tab, and the next projection 12 engages the upper right-hand hole 33 thereof. On the'other hand, if the tab were swung toward the left, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 3, that projection 12, which was engaging the hole 32, would engage the lower hole 34 on the other side, and the upper' opening 3l on the left-hand side would engage another of the projections 12.

The action described is further illustrated by the tabs in various positions in Fig. l, where it will be seen the left-hand tab a has its holes 33 and 32 engaged by projections l2, while the tab 2Gb, extending in the right-hand direction, looking at the front of the plate, has its holes 34 and 3l engaging projections. In the intermediate position the tab, here designated 20, has its central opening embracing one of the projections 12 and its edges standing between two alternate projections. In each case, the tongue 26 overhangs and maintains engagementy with the beaded edge 13 of the plate.

It will be seen that my tab is adapted for ready mounting in any of the openings 11 shown, and interchangeable at will between them, but when mounted in any opening it may be easily shifted, Without disturbing its mounting, into a plurality of positions, a total of three being shown. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the tab may give three times as many indications as there are openings 1l.

I am aware that it has been proposed to affix a swingable tab permanently to an address plate;

and it has also been proposed to make the initial location of the tab selective so that it may be installed in any of a number of regions and thereafter be swingable within that region. These propositions, however, fall short of my invention, which is concerned with maintaining the tabrat all times removable from the plate, so that its general region may be changed from time to time, and combining with this feature, of removabilityl and selective location, the `further feature of being shiftable within its selected region. This result is accomplished by the tab herein shown and described.

As heretofore indicated, the plate 10 may carry its printing members and index card, if desired, inAany suitable manner. I have shown by Way of illustration rows of upstanding buttons 15, connected with the plate by corrugations 16, these corrugations and buttons being adapted to support embossed printing strips (not shown) which have edge flanges extending beneath the overhanging portions of the buttons, as indicated, for instance, in` Patent No. 1,438,582. I have shown also upwardly turned lips 17, 18 and 19, which may cooperate with the rolled-over edge 13 to retain an index card overlying the upper part of the plate. However, if desired, the index card may be entirely omitted or carried in another manner, and in place of the individual strips, a single plate, having a number of embossed lines may be mounted on the plate 10, as is well understood.

I claim:

1. The combination with a member to be indexed of an index tab comprising a single member, provision for mounting the tab in any one of a number of regions on the member, in a manner enabling it to be readily removed, whereby after being mounted it may be changed at will from region to region, and means whereby the tab, when yso mounted, may be shifted into a plurality of positions.

2. The combination with an index tab comprising a single member, of an address plate having means for the removable mounting of an index tab in various locations, whereby after being mounted it may be changed at will from location to location, and means for holding the tab projecting in different directions for each oi its mountings.

3. The combination with a member to be in,- dexed having a row of openings therein adjacent one edge, of an interchangeable index tab com- 'i prising a single member, having a central tongue adapted to occupy any of the openings, in a readily removable manner, whereby after being mounted it may be changed at will from opening to opening, and means for holding the tab while extending in either of a plurality oi directions with its tongue in the opening.

4. The combination with a member to be .indexedhavinga row of openings thereon adjacent one edge, of an index tab having a tongue adapted to occupy any of the openings and form a pivot, means on the tab slidably engaging the edge of the plate, and means for holding the tab while extending in any of a plurality of directions with its tongue in the opening.

5. The combination, with a plate to be indexed having a row of openings thereon adjacent one edge, of an index tab having a single central tongue adapted to occupy any of the openings and means for holding the tab on the plate, While allowing it tobe swung into diagonal position with its tongue in the opening acting as a pivot.

6. The combination of a plate having a row of openings adjacent one edge, an index tab having a tongue adapted to extend through any of the openings and havingmeans to enga-ge the address plate adjacent the edge, and means for retaining said tab in a plurality of positions when the tongue is in any hole.

7. The combination of a plate having a row of openings adjacent one edge, an index tab having a tongue adapted to extend through any of the openings and having means to engage the address plate adjacent the edge, and means for retaining the tab in either of two diagonal positions.

8. The combination of a member to be indexed having a row of holes adjacent one edge, and a row of shoulders between the holes and said edge, 1'

9. The combination of an address plate formed to carry a printing surface and having a row of holes and a row of projections adjacent one edge, and an index tab having a tongue adapted to extend through any of the holes and having seats to embrace different projections while the tongue is in any hole, whereby the tab may be held while extending in diiierent directions.

10. The combination of an address plate having a row oi openings through it adjacent one edge, a row of projections between thn openings and the edge and a beaded edge, combined with an index tab, having a tongue adapted to project through any of the openings and having a tongue adapted to overhang the beaded edge, and having an intermediate body portion with a plurality oi holes in it which may selectively coact with some of said projections.

11. The combination of a member to be indexed, having a row of openings parallel one edge, a row of projections between the openings and the edge, and an index tab, having a tongue to engage any of the openings and having holes on each side of its longitudinal axis, a pair or" said holes, consisting of the upper right and lower left hole or vice versa, coasting with the projections of the member according to the diagonal position or" the tab.

i2. The combination or" a member to be infdexed, having a row of openings parallel one edge and a row oi projections between the kopenings and the edge, an index tab having a tongue to engage the openings and a tongue to engage the edge of the plate and between said tongues having a body portion with two holes on each side of the axis, diierent pairs of said holes coacting with the projections or the member' according to the diagonal position of the tab.

13. An address plate having means for carrying a printing surface and having a curled-over edge, a row of openings between the printing region and said curled-over edge and a row ofv projections between the openings and the edge, there being one projection for each opening and an index tab adapted to stand on the back of the plate and having a forwardly oiset tongue at its lower end adapted to extend through any of the openings onto the iront oi the plate and having a tongue near its upper end adapted to extend over the beaded edge of the plate, the body of the plate between the tongues having openings on each side of its axis adapted to engage different projections to hold the tab in either of two diagonal positions.

14. The combination with a plate having means for the removable mounting of an index tab in various locations, and interlocking means on the plate and tab, comprising projections on one of them and seats on the other formed to embrace selected projections, for holding the tab projecting in different directions for each of its mountings. Y

15. The combination with an address plate, formed to carry a printing surface, and having parallel with one edge means for the removable pivotal mounting of an index tab in various locations, and seats on the tab adapted to embrace projections on the plate for holding the tab projecting in different directions for each of its locations.

16. An index tab comprising a strip of material having a. tongue at its lower end, a tongue near its upper portion, and an intermediate body portion provided with openings on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the tab.

, 17. An index tab having a tongue at its lower end and a tongue near its upper portion, and between these tongues having two positioning shoulders, one above the other, on each side of the longitudinal axis of the tab.

18. An index tab comprising a member of sheet material having at its lower end a forwardly offset tongue and having near its upper portion a, forwardly extending tongue, and between these tongues being laterally widened and having in the widened region four positioning shoulders located at the four corners of a theoretic quadrangle.

19. An index tab comprising a strip of sheet material having a body portion, a projecting tongue below the body portion oiiset forwardly, an extension above the body portion, a tongue cut out of the extension below the upper end thereof and extending downwardly and bowed forwardly.

20. An index tab comprising a strip of sheet material having a body portion, a tongue below the body portion oilset forwardly, an extension above the body portion, a tongue cut out of the extension by means of an opening therein and bent forwardly, and each side of the body portion having holes formed therein. k

CLIFTON CHISHOLM. 

